The Washington State Patrol has left the Thurston County Narcotics Task Force, Sheriff Derek Sanders announced on social media.
WSP notified Sanders they would be pulling their detective from the task force due to "low staffing statewide," Sanders said in a Facebook post on Wednesday.
"Moving forward, the Thurston County Sheriff's Office will be the last remaining non-federal law enforcement agency dedicating resources to the enforcement of large-scale drug operations in Thurston County," Sanders said. "We understand WSPs staffing problems firsthand and appreciate their contributions to the task force."
The task force is a multi-jurisdictional partnership that focuses on criminal organizations involved in illegal drug and gun trades and human trafficking. Sanders said the task force specializes in high profile fugitive apprehension and complex informant networking.
Most people are familiar with WSP's role enforcing traffic laws on state highways. However, the agency also conducts criminal investigations as well as drug and forensic testing, making it a key partner for the task force.
The State Patrol notified Sanders of their decision on Tuesday, WSP spokesperson Chris Loftis told The Olympian. He said the agency needs to move the detective assigned to the task force into a vacancy in its own narcotics division.
"There was no disagreement with other agencies," Loftis said. "There was no lack of alignment with the purpose and value of the task force. It's simply a personnel resource issue."
Right now, the State Patrol is facing vacancies in 22% of its 683 trooper positions. That's 154 positions that were vacant as of Thursday, Loftis said.
WSP currently has about 2,060 personnel and 912 of them are commissioned law enforcement officers, Loftis said. He said the agency is budgeted for 2,565 total positions.
In his post, Sanders said the Sheriff's Office will continue to work with its remaining law enforcement partners. The task force still has five other members.
"Moving forward, TCSO will leverage the support of our federal partners and continue to disrupt, dismantle, and arrest high-profile narcotics and arms dealers to impede the flow of fentanyl and illegally possessed firearms in our county," Sanders said.
Why are there so many vacancies?
As Sanders noted in his post, the Sheriff's Office is contending with its own vacancies. Efforts to fill those spots are underway following voter approval of Thurston County's Public Safety Tax last year, but it remains to be seen if qualified candidates will apply.
"I pride myself and this office on prioritizing the most pressing issues facing our community, and if you're an entry or lateral applicant looking to work for a proactive agency that is dedicated to high-profile criminal interdiction, I want you to come work with us," Sanders said.
Loftis said WSP is seeing less qualified applicants each year, higher attrition rates in general and many older troopers have chosen to retire. He said many people, especially younger people, have been less inclined to apply in recent years as well.
"It started during COVID, it was exacerbated with the George Floyd situation and some other high-profile things that caused reputational damage to law enforcement," Loftis said.
These trends have affected law enforcement agencies across the state, Loftis said. In response, many have opted to expand lateral hiring opportunities and offer more competitive pay.
"Eventually, we'll come out of this, but right now, we're in that same trough that everybody else is," Loftis said. "What does that mean? It means that we're all competing in a shallower pond for fewer fish. That's just the reality."
Loftis said WSP has been actively trying to recruit younger people from diverse backgrounds to better reflect the communities they serve. As an example of outreach efforts, he said his office has coordinated an exhibit at the Washington State Fair to appeal to children and families.
"Recruitment is not just a great poster," Loftis said. "It's not just a clever social media ad. Recruitment is creating lifelong relationships with people, so the trust is there and the desire to be a part is there."
Even if WSP wins some hearts, the applications and training process can take months. Just applying to become a trooper or deputy is multi-step process that involves several exams, evaluations and a background check, according to the WSP and TCSO websites.
Once someone is hired, WSP expects them to attend a six-month training academy followed by a 10-week "coaching trip" with a Field Training Officer. A similar hiring process for Thurston County deputies is described on the county's website.
Loftis said WSP graduates three academy classes every two years. These classes typically have about 50 people, he added.
"If you want to be a trooper and the academy classes start tomorrow, you'd still be months away from being a trooper," Loftis said. "So, it takes time to get the right people in the right positions."
A starting trooper earns $6,316 per month while a trooper with 5-10 years of experience earns about $8,706 per month, according to open job listings.
Meanwhile, a deputy sheriff can expect a starting salary of $6,480 to $8,270 per month, according to available job listings.
